


A common enemy

by Valadilen



Series: The Cursed Witch [4]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Curses, F/M, Holding a grudge, Kaer Morhen, M/M, Magic, Snakes, Witch Curses, Witchcraft, mild paranoia, rebuilding kaer morhen, taking some liberties with the world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25506580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valadilen/pseuds/Valadilen
Summary: When Joséphine is interurpted in her work by messages from a former apprentice of her former master; she understand she simply cannot ignore the threat. However, if her enemy isn't the greatest mage in the world, his power of nuisance might be a bit too much for the witch... who might have to look for help from the one sorceress she hoped never to encounter ever again.
Relationships: Eskel (The Witcher)/Original Character(s), Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Lambert/Keira Metz
Series: The Cursed Witch [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587334
Kudos: 2





	1. Goodnight Little Bee

The moon was high when Joséphine got out of bed. Her feet couldn’t be lifted high enough to avoid making noise as she walked towards the chimney, where an unwelcomed green flame was burning. With the tip of her fingernails, the witch took the piece of parchment. Fire-mail was not particularly unusual in the magic community. However, for Joséphine to get any was odd. Only Triss Merigold would send messages sometimes, when she made a breakthrough in her studies on amulets; and needed help getting knew rare ingredients. Although, she would never send a message in the middle of the night (since Miss Merigold, unlike many, is many things but not masochist).

“ _Joséphine,_  
 _I, Malvak Tolvik the Mad, challenge you in a magic duel to the death._  
 _Refuse and I will be forced to kill you without having a proper challenge._  
 _Loggers hut, South of Novigrad, last day of the month. Don’t be late, little bee._ ”

Josephine read the letter again. Malvak Tolvik used to be one of her master’s student. He was kicked out of the apprenticeship three days after Yennefer got in. The next week, the Sorceress accidentally cursed Joséphine; who kept to herself ever since. Until now, she thought Malvak was dead, taken by Radovid’s men, tortured and killed on the pyre. The fact that he was still alive did not bring up any kind of emotions in the woman, who always tried to ignore him as much as she could in the past. Was this why he wanted a duel? To make himself known to her? And what was up with that nickname “the mad”? Only a skellige warrior could ware such name and be taken seriously. Malvak was far from being worthy of note. Mean, cruel, a bully through and through; she remembered him being a tall, thin young man, with a serious problem with hygiene. He had a weird fascination with venom; he would always observe snakes with the utmost attention. The Master kicked him out of his side when the boy got a young girl killed with an experiment gone wrong. Everybody knows you don’t put any kind of acidic material on a third degree burn on the chest, let alone snake venom. The girl died howling to death, who heard her just fine. The Master had to pay a considerable compensation for the loss, the funerals and still was mutilated for the incident.   
Joséphine took a deep breath in, held it… 

  
And threw the paper in the fire to go back to sleep. She’s a busy woman. She had better things to do than deal with a man going through his late puberty crisis.


	2. Beware of the snake in the grass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are things ever easy?

Of course, peace never follows when we most want it.

Joséphine just finished the cruse for her client when an odd feeling crept in the back of her head. She stopped everything she was doing.

The landscape in front of her desk in the garden was as quiet as usual. Flocks of birds lazily flew across the valley, unbothered by the sun nor the wind. A wyvern in the distance flew until it spotted something on the mountain side. It drew large circles in the air, then froze, dive and killed whatever was on the ground. Behind Joséphine, the house was calm and unmoving. Butterflies and bees were tending to the flowers, the gentle wind was teasing the curtains.

The wind was calm, thus the noise it made in the trees was quiet, peaceful. Insects were singing, the fire in the hearth was sleepily crackling while the potion in the cauldron bubbled. There was a hissing Joséphine did not recognized, but immediately disliked. She looked down on her feet, only to see a diamondbacks rattlesnake. It looked at her, hissed furiously and bit her ankle. The world immediately started to spine. The Witch kicked the beautiful but hated beast, who took the opportunity to bit her again, before landing somewhere in the garden. Joséphine fell on her desk, destroying her hard work. The confusedly tried to walk inside the house, but a powerful headache knocked her off balance. She fell, her ankle swollen, her body burning. The venom was quick to spread. Joséphine threw up, her heart was trying to kill itself.

Her check felt the dirt with a gravel and grass. The heartbeats in her temples, her eyes and her ears were deafening…

When she woke up, a familiar garden was before her. Unmoving, quiet, insects’ actives, vegetation in the wind… Nothing changed. Not surprising. She was living alone in a small valley in the Kaedwen mountain. The nearest village was two days away on horseback; Kaer Morhen was a week away. Moreover, Joséphine had few friends. Triss Merigold was a good colleague, but was caught up with Court intrigues in Kovir. As for her lover, the Witcher Eskel was either on the Path (thus _not_ in the area) or in Kaedwen (thus too _busy_ to come all the way other here). Every time he would come, he’ll send word ahead. Joséphine received nothing.

The witch used her elbows to rise up. Only then her heart started beating again. The venom was gone. The curse was loyal as ever, unfortunately. Being alive after dying _again_ did not fazed Joséphine one bit. She was getting close to a century old, most of her life has been spent with the accidental death-robbing curse by Yennefer. _Dying_ was hardly an option; thus, not a “problem”.

A “poof” sound made its way to Joséphine’s ear. Fire-mail.

_“I thought I made myself clear: take me seriously._

_See you soon, Little Bee._

_—Malvak”_

Joséphine sighed heavily. “Little bee” was the nickname he gave her to underline how worthless he thought she was. Ironically, bees die after the first stung. Joséphine was definitely more resistant than that.

The curse she was working on was no good anymore. This man was going to be a problem; if not for her, it will be for her business. The sighed that got out of her mouth could not be louder nor exasperated. This Malvak always was a pain, why would it change? The witch sat down in her home, exhausted. She needed to remember everything about Malvak Tolvik. The man was obnoxious, very persistent but, unfortunately very clever too. Also, he seemed to held great grudges. What Joséphine was struggling to understand was why going up against her? Wanting the Master dead was understandable. But Joséphine? He really paid any mind to her, considering her to be more of an alchemist than a sorceress, and a failure at that. If Malvak wanted her dead though, there was no question he was going to fight until he gets what he wants. Since Joséphine had nothing to do with his shameful end as an apprentice, did it mean the man was blaming all the former apprentices? This would include Yennefer…

Nah. The woman was safe. Ruthless and powerful on her own, she had a loyal super-witcher and an all-powerful adopted daughter at her side. Besides, Joséphine _hated_ the woman for cursing her. All the reasons to leave that black wearing clothes cold bitch-face alone. _Yet_ … No. Yennefer will have to deal with this alone. As for Joséphine, she drank a potion which made her feel a lot better, opened a portal and walked through it.

The Lodger’s hut was abandoned by its inhabitants a long time ago. Some says a leshen killed everyone living her until a witcher dealt with the creature; yet no one dared come back. When Joséphine walked through the portal, no one was here. After looking around, she came to the conclusion that _no one at all_ was here, but there used to be a group around. She was no witcher, but the foot tracks did not lie. However, they joined the main road, which made the searching ultimately fruitless.

Did Malvak think he killed her by sending that snake? It was possible. No many knew about the curse keeping her alive. Yennefer herself was unaware of it for many decades. So far, only she, Eskel and Vesemir (now deceased) were aware of this. Geralt might have a few ideas, but the man was not as bright as one might think. It was unlikely Yennefer told him anything. As Joséphine understood, those two were not having the best relationship in the world these days.

The witch walked towards the large mirror in her bedroom. She looked pale. The scars she had collected the last twenty years were gone. The undereye bags were gone. The redness in her tired eyes was inexistent. She looked twenty years younger, her hair was black and long again. Some things never change.

What about her former master? If Malvak was going after Joséphine, surely their former Master must have been killed, either by Malvak or someone/something else. Or maybe the crazy guy could not find his former master?

Whatever it was, she had to finish Malvak once and for good. Murder was not her thing, of course. But when you put curses on people or use black magic spells for a living, what is a little murder of somebody who truly deserves it? Witchers could concur, sometimes you have to sprain your rules a bit; only for special occasions, of course.


	3. Settling scores

Joséphine changed clothes and gathered her long hair in an over-sized bun which kept together by a large number of long hairpins. Once her pendant and her boots were on, she grabbed her messenger bad filled with potion, just in case. Then, she opened a portal and walked on the road next to the Lodger’s Hut.

The nauseating odors of Novigrad could be smelled from here. Last time she was there, Joséphine only witnessed poor people getting poorer, tragedies after tragedies and a lot of innocent people burnt alive on pyres. Now, things were calm, but ultimately the same when it came to peoples’ wealth. The Lodger’s hut seemed deserted, as always. Joséphine walked in the area, careful of her surroundings. Signs of a recent campfire, people walking in a out of the hut. The house itself was empty, save for a few rundown pieces of furniture.

“I knew a simple snake could not kill you.”

Joséphine sighed. She would recognize Malvak ugly voice anywhere. She turned around to observed a fin man with an arched back, covered with many loose clothing. His hair was white, scares, greasy. He had yellow and green eyes like a snake. The sight of this man was disturbing. He seemed to need a large stick to move around; which only added to the whole reptile look, since the tool was shaped like a hissing serpent.

“You gave me a lot of troubles to find you.” He said.

“Not my intension, but I’m glad to hear it. You look dreadful.” She said.

“Not everyone is good with metamorphosis. A sorceress specialty, I hear.”

“I heard that too. Still, you could have paid attention in class.” Joséphine sighed, already bored out of her mind. “I got your messages. One tried to kill him.”

“And failed, evidently.” He said, a bit disappointed.

“Since when are you into duels?”

“An aquired taste. Our master sends his regards.”

“He’s dead, then.”

“Of course.”

Joséphine’s question was a rhetorical one, but the man never was good with speeches. A long silent went on.

“So… You want to kill me?”

“Yes.”

“What are you waiting for?” Joséphine asked.

“I’m savoring the moment.” Malvak replied.

“You said that when the master asked you to take your things and leave.”

The man hissed at the provocation.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long.”

“A little more than fifty years, in fact.” Joséphine smirked.

“Laugh all you want sorceress; I know you’re too good to kill me.”

The witch said nothing but sighed at the evident lack of knowledge her opponent had on her.

“Care to tell me how you found me?”

“Who cares?”

“No one. It was a rhetorical question.” Sighed Joséphine with irony. She did remember a man falling into one of her magical traps around her house. He had been burnt to a crisp; maybe he had a friend? Which meant mercenaries or spies (like snakes). Either way, they did not tell Malvak everything one can learn about her just by looking at her.

The man suddenly threw a dart. It hit Joséphine’s magical shield. She ducked immediately, throw a wind gust. Malvak fell over. Using lighting speed, the witch escapes the house as a rain of vipers fell where she once stood. The woman was not exactly a fighter, not like Yennefer nor Triss, but she was resourceful and listened to Eskel’s stories carefully. Malvak cursed, the ground started to tremble. Joséphine recharged her shield, expecting quicksand filled with serpents. Instead, the mouth of a giant reptile opened beneath her feet. It closed on her body, and threw her away. Joséphine fell, rolled and hit the well’s wall. She could no longer feel her lower body. Her left foot was laying a few meters from her. The pain was so intense she barely noticed it.

“My, aren’t you resistant.” Malvak sneered as the creature disappeared. “Once I’m done with you, I’ll pay a visit to dear Yennefer.”

“Good luck with that.” Chuckled Joséphine. “If you think I’m bad, she worst.”

“I don’t think you’re bad. You’re pitiful, useless little bitch. You never had any talent, yet the master liked you! I was better than you, but it was your incompetence he favored the most.”

“Actually, it was Yennefer.” Breathed the witch, gasping from air.

She needed to think fast. _Think!_ Malvak seemed unaware of her curse. _Thats's good_. She needed to keep it that way. If he kills her here and sticks around long enough, he’ll know. Joséphine could not allow it. She pressed her forehead against the dirt. She was going to hate this…

In her hand she focused all her energy. She had to wait for the right moment. Malvak was getting closer. If the blast could take him, that would be amazing. But he noticed what she was doing. He tried to back away, but too late. Joséphine let go, fire exploded everywhere, the blast destroyed everything around.

And the woman was no more.


	4. How does an undead woman burnt to a crisp looks like?

Lambert never liked Novigrad. In fact, he never liked many things. Recently, he started to like something very much, or we should say _someone_. For the Sorceress Keira, he went back on the Path to earn them a little money, allowing to finish the house and buy ingredients for her experiments. The local mayor put up a contract not long ago, about a strange explosion near the Lodger’s hut. Lambert accepted it, fully expecting to meet either a draconid creature or Scoia’tael playing with fire. Turns out, none of those… As he observed in disbelieved a burnt corpse of a woman slowly dragging herself toward the forest, the witched realized that he _hoped_ he would find either a dracolid or Scoia’tael. Instead, he walked closer, weapon in hand. He recognized the pendant on the floor, but also the green eyes of the mostly dead woman.

“What on earth happened to you again, Mont-de-Glace?” He muttered. “I’m gonna hate this.”

He grabbed her arm which almost fell off when he hoisted her on his shoulders. The smell of burnt flesh was despicable, the feeling of her charcoaled skin peeling off with blood and flesh was disgusting. If the woman was anyone else, he would have let her die where she stood. Lambert was not afraid of many things –one of the few perks of being a witcher—but Eskel’s displeasure was not something _anyone_ want to experience.

“ _This_ is Joséphine de Mont-de-Glace ? » Keira wondered, not believing it. “I thought she was dead!”

“Yeah, you're not the only one. Common mistake. She's quite the opposite of dead.” Lambert mumbled.

“You knew she was alive and said nothing?”

“Sure, last time I said something about her, Eskel stared at me with the promise to bust my balls so hard I won’t be able to cum for the rest of my life.”

“Charming…”

“Truthful though.”

Joséphine wanted to shut them up. If she could, she would have left them to their idyllic lifestyle; but she couldn’t. Her crackling burnt hands were already growing skin back, which was a good sign. Although the witch never thought the curse would let her down, the speed with which it worked to make her whole again depended on the day –and damage. This time, it was rather fast. She reached for the pendant on the night stand. All her skeleton cracked at the movement, which gave goosebumps to Keira, who then needed to leave to throw up.

“Don’t make this more difficult than it already is, de Glace.” Growled Lambert, purposely flaying her name.

The cold labradorite in her hand was pure bliss. It helped her channel her magic, sending it to restore her body where it most needed. Face first, feet last.

“Where’s Malvak?” She asked.

“Who?”

“Tall thin creepy guy with a thing for snakes?”

“Please stop talking, my ears are cringing.”

“Lambert!”

“No one! There was no one but you!” He let out. “Happy?”

Joséphine tried to sit up. _Not remotely._ She thought, as Lambert was cursing.

“Come on, woman! Stay down!”

“Where is Yennefer?” She asked, her voice crackling and screeching.

“Fuck… I never liked your voice, but now I hate it.” Lambert growled.

She stared at him, one of her eyes missing it eyelid.

“Never mind.” Lambert said. “Why do you want Yennefer for? Don’t you hate her?”

She stared at him some more.

“Fine! I don’t know, I don’t care! With Geralt no doubt. Why do _you_ care?”

“An old acquaintance of ours is out for blood. I _hate_ her, I _despise_ her, I wish her head could conveniently end up on a spike…”

“You and me both.” Muttered Lambert.

“But I won’t give this man the pleasure.” Finished Joséphine as she put on the clothes Keira prepared for her.

Her skin was white and smooth again. Her muscles, bones, hairs, everything where back in place. Magic was most of the time a burden; until it’s not.

“I’ll warn her.”

Lambert sighed heavily, then called Keira. She still had a megascope somewhere in the house…


	5. Thus shadows surrounds me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safety tip: never target an immortal witch's childhood sweetheart.

The World of Mirrors. The name was not very creative, but Joséphine did not have time for fancy titles. This world was hers. She created it and lock it to everyone. When she was in the World of Mirrors, she could watch everything and hear anything that comes in from of a mirror, calm waters, tears or the reflection in a spying glass.

The World of Mirrors was hers.

Keira fixing her hair.

A dog drinking.

A man’s head being skillfully separated from the rest of his body by a blade, with a swift movement of a blade.

A lord fucking his valet instead of his wife, while his brother-in-law watched with great pleasure. This vision was disturbing.

Malvak walking near a lake. Joséphine looked carefully at the mirror, trying to recognize where the man was walking, where he was heading, in what state was he in. She touched the cold surface of the mirror. The vision widened until the witch could see better. A shape on the side of a mountain cliff was visible from the Lake.

“Kaer-Morhen?” She let out. “Why is he going to Kaer Morhen? There nobody there in this time of the year.”

Not that it mattered. Yennefer did spend some time in Kaer Morhen, right before it fell apart when the Wild Hunt was chasing Ciri. Perhaps Malvak was going there to get something to track her with?

Joséphine abandoned the mirror to look for the one in the guest room. With any luck, it was still thee. Yes! Found it! She walked through.

A man was having sex with another. Time paused there for a brief moment. Unknown man #1, with unknown man #2, stared at her while she stayed perfectly still in her steping-out-of-a-mirror position. Witchers, both of them, but not ones she met before.

“Is Witcher Eskel here?” She asked.

“Downstairs.” Witcher #2 replied.

“Thank you.” She smiled, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. “Carry on.”

She ran to the door, almost lost her balance in the stair as a young boy was coming up.

“I wouldn’t go up there.” Joséphine shouted in a hurry. “Also, who are you? Doesn’t matter!”

She ran in the main hall. A dozen Witchers were there. All stared at her.

“As anyone seen a sorceress wearing black clothes and making the world miserable around her?”

No response, all Witchers were wondering who was the young lady barging in Kaer Morhen, from the opposite side of the main door.

“Is Witcher Eskel around?”

“Training ground. But who are y—”

“Thank you kindly.”

She ran outside. Eskel was on the right, training with young boys to sword fight. Coming from the blacksmith workshop, Malvak walked, accompanied by a Witcher. Their eyes met. Disbelieve cross Malvak’s face before letting a wide smile stretch his face.

“This is going to be fun.” He said.

He let out a venom spell out. Joséphine dispelled it with a swift movement of the hand. Witchers came out. Malvak attacked again, this time towards Eskel and the young ones. Joséphine rushed towards them, racing the spell.

_“Thus, shadows surrounds me…_ ” She cried before letting her magic flow from her body. A large shield went out, pushing the venom away and anything not fixed to the ground. Malvak held his position.

“I came to look for Yennefer. Instead, I find an undead Little Bee.”

Eskel took his sword out.

“What’s going on?” He asked. “You look young. You died?”

“Twice those last three days.” Mumbled Joséphine. “I’m not into murder, Malvak. But for you…”

The earth started to tremble. Eskel felt the need to stay away from Joséphine as black energy was surrounding her, her green eyes turning white.

“For you, I’ll make an exception.”

She let out her magic, dark and violent. She needed to take her frustration out. Malvak the Mad was now Malvak the Unlucky. He couldn’t believe she was using black magic. The Little Perfect Toussainoise Bee, always was calm, always so lawful and righteous, using the most dangerous magic in the world… and aiming at him. He invoked his giant snake, but Joséphine had no patience for the creature. The man killed her twice. She hated to die, it reminded her she couldn’t. Also, he had the gall to attack _her_ _witcher_ , in Kaer Morhen. Not to mention the young boys on the training ground. Which Eskel will have to explain once she was done with Malvak.

“Whatever happens, don’t let him go.” She barked right before chanting a spell.

Three portals opened and hideous hounds came out of it. They snarled and barked, drooling acid and hatred. She pointed at Malval, they lunched. The man riposted with snake, _of course_. Two reptiles took the hit, the third bit one the hounds so bad it fell on the ground, screaming to death as the venom was eating it from the inside.

As the hounds occupied the snakes, Joséphine dropped the black magic only to surround herself with running waves of water. She let it pick up in the air. She controlled the water, creating a cage around Malvak. He froze it, she made it stronger than either. Thus, he could not break it as intended. Joséphine fell towards the cage: the earth trembled as she hit the ground. The madman invoked a horde of reptiles. The witchers immediately called to arms. Joséphine looked at her opponent as Eskel ordered the young ones inside the keep.

“You won’t win this, Little Bee.”

“I thought by now you would have learnt to stop calling me that.” She said. “I’m no bee. And you, you are going to _earn_ your stupid nickname.”

“It’s no—”

The ice smoothed and visions appeared on the slicked surface.

“Welcome in the Cage of Memories, Malvak.” She said, before invoking a portal underneath the cage. “You’ll be in there for a while. Give my regards to our master.”


	6. A swift end

They both let a satisfied sigh out as their back landed on the makeshift bed. It’s been a while, but still totally worth it. Although, now that this was out of the way, Joséphine had quite a few questions for Eskel, and Eskel for her.

“I hear you had the pleasure of spending some delicious time with a fierce succubus.” She said.

It took five long minutes of silence for Eskel to process what she just said.

“I did.” He said. “We haven’t seen each other for five years, but that’s the first question that come to your mind.”

“It was not a question, my dear, I merely let out that your sexual life is hardly a secret.” Joséphine smiled. No one told her this, but the World of Mirrors was full of surprises. She herself had a great time, enjoying the sexual encounter between her sweetheart and this succubus who, one must had, was absolutely gorgeous.

How did she manage to talk so seriously with a voice soft as silk and the gentlest expression in the world on her face? She did not look angry. Then again, Eskel would not be angry if she slept with a succubus.

“Had fun?” She wondered.

“Lot’s of it.” He said with a wry smile. “You’re point?”

“None. I was curious. You never told me. I never met a succubus.”

“They are very good sex partners if you can keep up with them.” Eksel explained with a stillness in his voice proving once more how shameless Witchers can be. “Are we going to talk about that crazy guy you took out?”

“Are we going to talk about the bunch of young boys running around the keep, training to become witchers, while I could have sworn that we promised never _ever_ again?”

She stared at him. They both remembered how horrible the Trial of Grass can be, Eskel more than her. He was already a witcher when they met again, but Joséphine had the unlucky honor to assist to Lambert’s trials. “Never again” where the key words whenever she thought of those terrible weeks. Eskel shared that opinion. Geralt shared it too. Lambert definitely shared that. With Vesemir dead, everybody, including Eskel, expected the Wolf School to be gone for good. Yet, over forty Witchers or soon-to-be witchers were living in Kaer Morhen now. The fortress was under Eskel’s responsibility since Vesemir.

“What is going on?” She asked.

“I’m not doing this.” The Witcher said, referring to the Trials. “Those guys are from Griffin School, Bear School, even a few came from the Cat and the Viper School. Oen came from the Manticors. They were hunted by various groups of anti-witchers malcontent, heard that Kaer Morhen was still standing for some reasons and came here. I was here, preparing the keep for winter when they showed up.”

“When?”

“After Ciri coronation.”

“Five years.”

“I told them that I will not performs the trials. I can train the lads, but nothing more.”

Joséphine rose on one elbow, leaning on the witcher’s torso. Her breasts against his skin reminded the two of them how enduring he was; but none dared to act on the obvious signs of arousal. The woman was not more virtuous on the matter. The witch looked at Eskel eyes. They stared at each other, discerning the truth or any flicker of emotions. They knew one another for more than sixty years. Neither of them looked much older, except for Eskel who, despite not being burden by the average human life-span, was still slowly but surely becoming older. The toughness of his duties only made him look older. Yet, Joséphine still found him very attractive. Anyhow, he was saying the truth. She was not pleased with the situation what so ever, but could hardly argue when it came the Order of Witchers; which she had no authority. Her man knew her opinion on the subject, he’ll have to deal with this on his own.

“What about that guy who’s balls you kicked?”

“Malvak. Former apprentice of my master. Held a serious grudge for being kicked out.”

“Why attacking you?”

“Madness?” Joséphine wondered. “This man was never sane to begin with. I can tell you about him, but I need to eat first. That story is a long one.”

In the grand hall, Joséphine was eating the meal served to her with all the proper etiquette of a fine lady of a fallen noble bloodline from Toussaint. That Eskel stared at her was already established as an average show of affection, an essential part of their relationship. On one hand Joséphine secretly enjoyed the attention, on the other Eskel was simply fascinated, even after all these years, about Toussaint nobility eating etiquette that she performed to perfection. However, for _other_ witchers to stare at her was simply inacceptable.

“Back to business, gentleman. Unless you wish to train against me.” Joséphine slowly said, thus making the youngest witchers ran away. The eldest sat at the table. She recognized two of them, witcher #1 et #2. “Had much fun?” She asked them.

Witchers can’t blush, unless one of them is from the Cat School. #2 blushed furiously. Cute.

“So, your spat with the sorcerer is over?” wondered a witcher from Viper School.

“If by “spat” you mean a magic duel to the death, then no. No remotely. Malvak is locked in a cage, reliving all the worst moments of his life; which I think will turn him mad in no time. _Then_ he’ll die because that’s what I want.”

“Since when you play goddess?” Eskel wondered.

“Since the man had the gall to kill me. Twice. In two days. Not even Radovid’s men could do that. Malvak did not need to take that as a challenge.”

The Witchers looked at each other. Eskel was not going to explain that one for them, nor will the sorceress in front of them. Although he was displeased with the fact that she hid from him an important detail of her life: being caught by Radovid’s men during the War. The two never sworn to tell each other everything, not more did they swear to be faithful to one another. But Eskel would have preferred to know.

“And Yennefer?” He mumbled.

“Lambert found me after my second death. Keira contacted her.” Joséphine said. “I hope she’ll stay on Geralt’s phallus and leave me alone.”

“Your wounds?” Eskel wondered.

Joséphine did hurt herself a few times in the fight, although only noticed after sending Malvak to his doom.

“Eskel. We just finished a session of intense sex that lasted two day. You already know that answer.”

Still, she loved that he thought to ask. The boys around, though, did not need to hear that. Yet, the adults in the room nagged Eskel for the performance.

“Anyhow, I must go.” She said, preparing her things. “Not that I don’t appreciate you company, Eskel, far from me this dreadful idea. However, I do not relish the screams of a child begging for death ever again.”

This cooled down the room immediately. The boys were not sure what she meant, but the newest Witchers became paler in only a few seconds.

“Unfair, Josie.”

“Say that to them.” She said, pointing at the children.

Joséphine abandoned her empty plate, took her messenger bag, kissed Eskel on the forehead –he could not stop his hand from reaching for her, gently tangling his fingers in her dress. The woman smiled, then casted a portal.

“Goodbye, my dear Eskel. Don’t forget to visit me from time to time.”

And thus, Joséphine existed Eskel’s life once again; but with the unspoken promise they meet again soon. As for Yennefer, she sent a small gift of appreciation for the warning about Malvak. A necklace of most exquisite state. Well… It actually came from Empress Cirilla who was grateful for the warning about the danger her adopted mother could have been targeted by. In the note, the Empress kindly asked for the man’s head. Not wanting to make an enemy of the most powerful woman on the continent, Joséphine swiftly removed Malvak’s head and sent it to Vizima.

That night, Joséphine drank a bit of wine then went to a warm bed, curtesy of a fine scared witcher. 


	7. ...Almost

If Josephine was ready to go on with her life, others were not. Her client was angry at the lack of punctuality. If Empress Cirilla was satisfied with Malvak’s head, Yennefer was not. Eskel left to tend to Kaer Morhen living his lover alone once again.

As the witch was working on a private project, one of her traps around the house was triggered, followed immediately by screams of pain, others of panic. Three people were paying her a visit, four maybe.

“Come on, wicked bitch! Show yourself and fight!” Shouted one of the survivors.

Joséphine did not care for witch-hunters. They had their chance during the war, but still were unable to kill her. Especially those men who were sent by the last customer who tried to hire her. However, they were not going to vanish on their own, will they? The witch took a sample of mercury and one of tin, then walked inside the house. It was empty, since Joséphine fully expected to have an uninvited guest soon. Although she did not plan for the witch-hunters to get here first.

They barged in.

“My, my… What a rude way to enter a woman’s home.” Joséphine slyly commented.

“Y’a aren’t gonna leave, bitch.”

“I beg to differ, my dear.” She said. “See, for me to leave is an easy thing. For _you_ to leave, now here’s a challenge.”

She spoke and broke the vials of mercury and tin on the floor. The room went dark as the wall, doors and window suddenly were covered with a metallic texture; which turned smooth. One of the hunters launch at Joséphine, but he’s blade cracked the surface of a mirror instead. Joséphine smiled at him.

“Give Yennefer my regards.” She said, before vanishing in fin air.

Later that night, Geralt entered the house. The mirrors were gone, and three dried bodies were in the middle of the empty room.

“Where is she?” Yennefer asked, in a hasty manner.

_Not here._ Thought Geralt. He wasn’t sure about Yennefer’s intentions here. When she heard about the exchange between Joséphine de Mont-de-Glace and Ciri, the Sorceress freaked out. Her memories of the witch and Geralt’s were quite different. If she remembered a young woman selfish, cruel and sardonic, the Witcher remember the girl who new Eskel before the trial of grass, a girl that could not hurt a fly and would do whatever she could to help. From what he heard from his brother, Joséphine settled things with Malvak, in favor of both Yennefer and her. That Ciri gave a gift seemed rather normal.

The Sorceress entered the empty home.

“That’s not right! It’s empty! No furniture, nothing. It’s like she knew we were coming!”

That could not be possible. Yennefer kept Geralt in the dark until they arrived in front of the house. The Witcher would bet on the fact that despite what the Sorceress wanted, Joséphine knew her a lot better than she thought. Also, black magic had a way to make people do random things.

“She’s not here. Let’s go back.” Geralt said.

“Wait!”

Yennefer got closer to one of the cadavers. On the face was nailed a piece of parchment.

“ _My dear Yennefer,_

_We had the same master, we share a tragic past, we have both witchers from the same school as lovers, we love magic and our loved ones. I’ve kept my distance with you in hope you would lift the curse you casted on me all those years ago. You can imagine my great disappointment when I spotted a tracking spell on the necklace your daughter sent to me. Or did she? She sent me a note expressing her surprise when she received the head of Malvak. She was not unhappy about his fate, but never asked for his head. The jewelry reeked of your magic, Yennefer. That you thought I would not notice is an insult to my intelligence._

_You’ve ruined my life once. I would appreciate if you could stop trying to make it worst._

_I’m giving you back your generous “gift”. It’s color suits you best._

_Kindly your,_

_Amélie Thérèse Gwendoline Louise Joséphine de la Roche-Glacée »_

Yennefer used her magic to take the necklace. With the magic coming from it, one could only imagine what nasty curse the witch had casted. When Yennefer opened the portal back home, she understood Joséphine was done playing nice. If she came after her again, it won’t be a necklace she’ll curse but her, or Ciri or even Geralt. Speaking of which, he was staring at her. His face was neutral, of course, but he was definitely unhappy.

“You tricked her?” He asked. “Why?”

“She’s dangerous.”

“Yes, so are you.” He said. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be involved.”

“In your place, Eskel would—”

“No, he wouldn’t. And he’s not in my place, Yen.” Geralt said, frustrated. “Give Josie a break. If you want her to disappear from your life, break the curse. Otherwise, leave her alone.”

“I can’t break the curse!”

“Bullshit! But why do I care, you never listen. You don’t care about what people think; In other circumstances, I would be fine with it. But I know that girl. You were kids when you cursed her. Think on that for a while.”

Geralt left Yennefer, to think. He needed some fresh air, she needed to be alone. While the Witcher was hoping his words reached his beloved, Yennefer only saw a machination from Josephine to turn him against her.

In the meanwhile, Joséphine made a magical puppet looking like Empress Cirilla. She dressed the puppet with silk, put in in a box with flowers, soothing herbs and protective stones. The Empress let her live in peace, despite the limited tolerance to witches in the Empire. Joséphine was grateful… But would it suffice?


End file.
